Chapter 441: Purchasing II

After buying the leather bag, Bai Lang slung it over his shoulder—the bag also serves as a bag, able to hold a lot of items, even items larger than the bag itself. Bai Lang decided that to conceal himself he needed to buy a piece of clothing, and he already knew what kind of clothing it would be.

"Can't go to Mrs. Mo Jin's robe shop; I need to go to a place with higher tailoring standards—Tuofan Ready-to-Wear Shop," Bai Lang thought. As for what kind of clothing? Given Bai Lang's usual style, that was obvious: a black double‑flap cloak—the uniform from Assassin's Creed, preferably with a Mask.

A Mask is simple enough; Bai Lang could even fashion one himself from metal sheets, and it seems even wizards lack a see‑through spell? In any case, without preparation most people can't see through it. The decor and class of the Tuofan Ready-to-Wear Shop are far more upscale than Mrs. Mo Jin's shop; to Bai Lang it resembles the old‑established tailors on Savile Street in London's West End.

The clerk's attitude was similar, and although Bai Lang hasn't had the chance or the money to stroll there, he's seen TV programs introducing the place. A moving measuring tape carefully measured his dimensions; this tape was far more courteous than the one at Mrs. Mo Jin's shop, and each time it switched measurement points it lifted one end of the tape to bow in acknowledgment.

Bai Lang sketched the desired clothing design roughly on a board; it naturally rotated and refined itself, turning the crude sketch into a beautiful garment—nothing surprising, as Bai Lang had seen even more magical modern imaging technology in his previous urban world. Isn't this just a tablet computer?

The clothing was made quickly; after Bai Lang paid seventy‑five galleons, the garment was finished within an hour—this price would barely cover a sleeve on Savile Street. "The wizarding world's economy is hard to predict," Bai Lang thought, placing the clothing into his bag and then leaving Diagon Alley—his money was essentially spent, and the next time he comes to buy second‑year textbooks he'll probably have to exchange more money.

For Bai Lang, the vacation is merely a time to hone his own martial skill; the Southern Dipper White Tiger Fist he practiced years ago is naturally a martial art that can be cultivated indefinitely—the higher his insight and the stronger his power, the deeper he can advance this art—ultimately it is the seed technique he obtained from the thief‑turned‑military advisor back then.

Now he just needs to blend magic into it, perhaps necessary, perhaps not—Bai Lang believes that the great potential of magic is simply a characteristic of this world; if he later visits other magic‑filled worlds, the rules and even the magic itself may not be the same. He is certain that after returning to his own world, this magic will probably be useless.

Those who cultivate—sorcerers, alchemists, Taoist priests—also manipulate the vital energy between heaven and earth to achieve various wondrous effects. The magic of this world is a completely different thing; the heavenly‑earthly vital energy… never mind, this world seems very rigid. Otherwise Bai Lang would be limited to this extent.

During the summer break he also traveled to the European continent, spending a few days at Disneyland Paris—given this body, that's as far as it goes. In that time Bai Lang grew a head taller, his height approaching the 1.5‑meter mark—just a recovery; in the future when he controls his body, he knows that by the time he graduates at eighteen his height will surely reach 1.89 m, and even regaining his former 1.92 m wouldn't be surprising.

The school's owl delivered another letter, containing the start‑term notice and a catalogue of required textbooks. Bai Lang decided to go in a few days; after all, there is still at least a week before school starts.

When he arrived at the Leaky Cauldron again, wand in hand, riding a bicycle with his bag, the junkies inside were still the same few familiar faces—perhaps they truly consider the bar home. Bai Lang had previously, while reading books, watching movies and fan‑fiction, thought that wizards' prospects seemed bleak, with a respectable job apparently only being a bureaucrat at the Ministry of Magic.

Pure‑blood wizards can almost always find a job at the Ministry of Magic, whereas half‑blood wizards are a different story… Bai Lang mused on this as he entered Diagon Alley, and after only a few steps he ran into Harry Potter and his friends, along with a group of red‑haired fellows.

"Hey, Harry, Hermione Granger, Ron, and of course the Weasley brothers—George and Fred, hello," Bai Lang greeted them, wand in hand. "Oh, you're here to shop too? Bai." Harry replied, "Just call me Lang, otherwise I always think you're saying goodbye to me." Bai Lang laughed, "Right, I'm here to buy what I need for next term, but I have to go to Gringotts first to exchange some money."

The Weasley family is quite poor, and because of their children's spending habits they are always tight on money—after winning a 700‑galleon prize they didn't save it but spent it all on a family vacation, which is probably something only the Weasleys could do. It's hard to say; perhaps this is a common situation in the wizarding world…

Or perhaps it's the centuries‑old pure‑blood family's disregard for money? Bai Lang makes no judgment, but joining them to shop is fine. After all, the Weasley brothers and Ron in Gryffindor have a decent relationship with him—the Weasley brothers' friendship is built on mutual prank‑making that constantly earns them demerits…

Nevertheless, the two brothers actually have excellent grades; the Weasley family isn't lacking, and almost everyone has a magical strength—far better than the underachieving Bai Lang. Bai Lang also saw Hermione Granger's parents, though they quickly separated— the brothers met their friend Jordan, and the three planned to leave together. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny Weasley were heading to a secondhand shop to buy robes, and Mr. Weasley insisted on taking Hermione Granger's parents out for a drink. The trio then prepared to go with Bai Lang to buy textbooks.

Bai Lang didn't let Harry spend money; although Harry is richer than Bai Lang, Bai Lang still bought four large ice creams, one for each. Of course, when Harry and Ron reached the Quidditch shop they were stuck, while Hermione Granger led them to the parchment and ink shop. Bai Lang bought a bunch of parchment and plenty of ink, stuffing them into his bag.

"Is that bag expanded with the Undetectable Extension Spell?" Hermione Granger noticed and asked. "By the way, I've also studied the Undetectable Extension Spell, but unfortunately I can't test it at home..." As she said this, Ron, behind them, started making faces. "Ah, right, this is the bag I bought with the Undetectable Extension Spell. It even contains a whole house inside," Ron interjected abruptly, "Whoa, buddy. That's really expensive." Bai Lang nodded, "Indeed, it is truly pricey."